Former Fox News Chief Roger Ailes’ Autopsy Report Released

Roger Ailes died three days after his 77th birthday (Splash News photo)

PALM BEACH — Fox News founder Roger Ailes was conscious, cognizant and able to hold a conversation three days after he fell and hit his head on the limestone floor of his Palm Beach Mansion.

The 77-year-old controversial television executive fell on May 10 and died on May 18, but he kept control of his faculties for three days while he was under observation at St. Mary’s Medical Center, according to his autopsy report.

The former CEO was taken to the hospital after falling and hitting his head so hard that his wife, Elizabeth, and a housekeeper heard “a loud noise,” according to notes in the autopsy file.

When they found him he was “on he floor in a supine position,” but fully conscious and he simply told them that he’d fallen.

Roger Ailes’ Palm Beach mansion (MLS photo)

He did, however, lacerate the back of his head, and his wife called 911. Ailes was taken to St. Mary’s and kept under observation.

Ailes told doctors he didn’t remember falling, which prompted the medical examiner to write “syncope?” in the file, posing the question that perhaps Ailes had fainted.

He was given a CT at the hospital, but the results didn’t show any major injuries.

Ailes suffered from hemophilia, a blood clotting disorder, as well as from diabetes and hypertension.

Three days after being admitted to the hospital, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and lost consciousness. Five days later he died without ever regaining consciousness.

Roger and Elizabeth Ailes (Splash News photo)

According to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s report, Ailes underwent emergency surgery to drain the blood from his brain. Still, he wasn’t able to pull through and died with his wife and their 16-year-old son by his side.

The medical examiner listed the cause of death as “complications of subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma due to fall.” Ailes’ hemophilia was a contributing factor and the manner of death was listed as “accident.”

Ailes was fired from Fox News in 2015 after several employees claimed he sexually harassed them, a firing that haunted him to the end, according to a priest who spoke at his May 20th Palm Beach funeral.